On a Night of Fun and Frights, Pedestrian Safety Should Be the Primary Focus
27 October 2009 - 11:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
This Halloween - drivers, parents and children should slow down for
safety WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On a night
when many children spend hours in close proximity to cars as they
navigate through neighborhoods gathering candy, pedestrian safety
should be a top priority for both drivers and parents. On average,
twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween compared
to other days of the year. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year,
and many kids will be out late trick-or-treating while it is dark
-- making it harder for drivers to see them. Because of this lack
of visibility, it's important for drivers to take extra precautions
to watch out for trick-or-treaters, especially around crosswalks.
"The simple act of slowing down on neighborhood roads will not only
make Halloween more enjoyable for everyone, but also it could save
lives," said Moira Donahue, Director of the Walk This Way program,
Safe Kids' pedestrian safety program. "Pedestrian safety is not
just the responsibility of the driver, however, parents can do
their part to help kids stay out of the emergency room on Halloween
by emphasizing safe pedestrian behaviors before they go out
trick-or-treating," said Donahue. "Children younger than age 12
should not be alone crossing streets at night without an adult. If
older kids are mature enough to go trick-or-treating without adult
supervision, parents should make sure they go in a group and stick
to a predetermined route with good lighting." Top safety tips Safe
Kids USA recommends for parents: -- Cross the street safely at
corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and
left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Walk, don't
run, across the street. -- Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are
no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street
crossings. -- Slow down and stay alert -- watch out for cars that
are turning or backing up and never dart out into the street or
cross in between parked cars. -- Costumes can be both creative and
safe. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers
and, if possible, choose light colors. Masks can obstruct a child's
vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever
possible instead. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in
order to see better, as well as be seen by drivers. Top safety tips
Safe Kids USA and FedEx recommend for drivers: -- Slow down in
residential neighborhoods and school zones. Remember that popular
trick-or-treating hours are during the typical rush-hour period of
5:30 to 9:30 p.m. -- Be especially alert and take extra time to
look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children
are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. --
Slowly and carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys. -- Reduce
any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or
eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
While pedestrian safety is a main concern on Halloween, parents and
kids should also be careful when dealing with candy. "While kids
never want to wait to dive into their candy, it is best to check
sweets for signs of tampering before children are allowed to eat
them," adds Donahue. "Remind children to only eat treats in
original and unopened wrappers." In preparation for Halloween, 150
Safe Kids coalitions across the country will team up with Walk This
Way program sponsor FedEx to provide kids with reflective materials
to promote visibility, including trick-or-treat bags and zipper
tags that can be attached to costumes, as well as important safety
information to children, parents, and drivers. For more tips on how
to help kids become safer pedestrians on Halloween, as well as
throughout the year, visit
http://www.usa.safekids.org/wtw/halloween2009.html. About Safe Kids
USA Safe Kids USA is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global
network of organizations with the mission of preventing
unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and
disability to children ages 1 to 14. More than 600 coalitions in
the United States and nineteen member countries worldwide bring
together health and safety experts, educators, corporations,
foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect
families. About FedEx Corp. FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) provides
customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of
transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual
revenues of $34 billion, the company offers integrated business
applications through operating companies competing collectively and
managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand.
Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted
employers, FedEx inspires its more than 275,000 team members to
remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest
ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers
and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080410/DC19130LOGO-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Safe Kids Worldwide
CONTACT: Kate Jones of Safe Kids Worldwide, +1-202-662-4478, Web
Site: http://www.safekids.org/
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